Fence-post-brace clamp.



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' post; consequently it tends to push the post@4 UNITED STATES APAHENT OFFICE. y

ARTHUR W. SPBAGUE, IOECEASED, LATE 0F LA GRANGE, ILLINOIS, BY CUBA SPBAGUE,

EXECUTE/DQ. OF LA GRANGE, ILLINOIS.

His invention refers to fencing and more particularly to a clamp for .securing a brace to a fence post, whereby the bracing rod is held in such a manner in the clamp which embraces the post that vall thee thrust is trensmitted directly to the clamp Without any of it being borne by the bolt. This he eccomplislies by a novel arrangement of clamp end brace connection which will here* inafter he more fully described.

The great disadvantage of the arrangel ments now employed is that the thrustv of thbbrace rod is notin the center ofthe out of vertical position. This disadvantage is brought about by the fact thatthe brace connection is held. rigidly by the collar against sidewise movement, so unless the collar is applied to the post in such' n position that the plone of the thrustfwiilllbe through the vertical axis of the post the undesirable result` follows. It is too much trouble andi` requires too much time to adjust 'he collsir to the exact position. .-An-

yother disadvantage is that some, if not all of the thrustis transmitted to the collar through the bolt-Ya condition not at all in 'harmony 'with the results demanded. I To overcome these diiliculties he has 1n vented a collar and brace connection so shaped and related that `the bolt will be relieved of all strain andthat the thrust rod will always be centered on account of the peculiar shape of my brace connection and the modo of joining itto the collar.

The features of his invention will be more Spedicatipn of Letters Patent. ppnmuoameqingyn l1917. serial No. 167,075.

Patented Dec. 11, 1917.

readily understood byreference to the am companying drawings wherein- Figure '1 is anelevation of an end of a fence attached to e post and the post held in vertical' position by a thrust rod in con- ]unction with the collar and brace connection lembodying' his invention.

- Fig. 2 Vis a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section on line 'lr-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a section on lino 5 5 of 2.

In the drawings l0 representen fence post at the end of a piece of fencing. To retain the post 10 in vertical position against the pull of the fence, a thrust rod 11 isprovidedy having one lend fastened to an anchor 12 driven into the ground Iand the other end secured to thc brace connection onthe clamp.

Referrin more particularly to Figs. Zand 3 it will c observed .that theclamping yfeatures consist of a strap or collar adapted to embrace the fence post, a brace adapted to [it the recessed ends of the strap, anda bolt to vdravv the strap about the post and hold .1t irmlytl'iereon and to hold the bracexcom nection td the collar.

In the' lorrnvin which he has;1 preferred to illustrate' his invention the strap or collar has a split eye portion 13. forembracing the post 10, and two extending jaws', `euch a. continuation of the side of the eye 13. The

' ende. Through the head 2O is an aperture 23 greater' in diameter than the bolt 18, so

jaws have tops 14, side walls 15 and back -.lis 16. The back walls- 16 are arranged Aconverge toward the eye 13, the purpose 4o which will be explained/later. In the sida lle prefers to make thehead 20 i as to pci-mit the head being rocked 0n the holt. The tongue 21 is that portion which engages the thrust rod 11 and is, in section, in the form of a conventional Maltese cross--itbeing understood that the brace .rod 11 is hollow and that the brace connection is adapted to project into one end thereof. prefers to employ the ,shoulder 22 against which the upper end of the brace rod 11 rests. Naturally,therefore, the shoulder must be greater in transverse dimensions than the tongue 21, and he refers to make the Vhead 20 smaller than t 1c Vshoulder 22. The aperture 23 in the head 21 is large backJ and top Walls 16 and 14 without bearing against the bolt 18.

The operation of the device is as follows: The post having been put in position, the collar is then slipped on over the post and' slid into position when the bolt 1S is tightened, thus causing the jaws tomove together and the collar to tightly embrace the post. lt is understood that the collar is thus se cured in position so that the brace connection lies in substantially the proper position. The brace er thrust rod 11 is then slippedv over the tongue 21 and brought into ablltting position with the shoulder 22. The anchor 12 is then driven into the earth to afford a firm footing: for the rod 1h The head is thus pushed againstthe back and top walls 16 and 15 of the collar. If it should happen that the collar has been .secured in such a position on the post so that a vertical plane passing through the center of the eye and between the'edges i9 of the jaws should not coincide with a. vertical plane through the center of the brace 11, instead of Vthe brace 11 acting to displace the post lateral-ly, the head 20 of the brace connection, by virtue oi. its peculiar shape, cooperating With the convergent back walls 16, centers in such manner that the thrust against the post 10 is'in direct line with the vertical axis thereof and that all the bearing'of the' head 20 is against the walls. This willA4 be apparent from observation of Figs. 3 and 4. :The width 4of the head 20 being less than the 'distance between the side walls 15 when the edges 19 of the jaws are in contact, permits of lateral movement so that the head 20 may adjust itself with respect to the walls 16E-to meet the direction of thrust imposed by-,the bracerod 11.

It will lhe apparent'that he has provided a novel arrangement of partsthat coperate to furnish a self-centering b ra'ce connection wherein all the thrust is transmitted to the collar and none to the bolt.

I claim: l 1. In a 'device of the class described;the eon'ibinationgi a fence post, a brace rod, a .cllar'adapted for engagementl with To afford abutting provision hev enough so that the head 21 will abut the' said post, and a brace connection, the sides of the collar at the split being,l provided with extending jaws, the outward ends oit the vjaws provided with recesses, said. brace conneetion provided with a head portion and a longue portion, said tongue adapted to engage said brace rod, and said head adapted for engagement with said recess, and means for loosely retaining,r said head in en gagexnent with said recess, substantially as described.

2. In a device oi the class described', the combination of a split collaiI and a brace connection, said collar comprising an-eye portion and extending jaws, said jaws being separated by the split, the ends ot said jaws provider. recessesv having top. side and back walls, ,ed side walls proiided With. registering aperluros` said brace connection having a head portion adapted to en said recesses and provided with an, apc. ture. and 'fastening means adantrffi to es# tend through said apertures, f. simiilialiv described. r 3. In a device ot the eiass de combination of a split collar connection, the sides ei." the collar at the split'being extended forming jaws, said. jaws provided with recesses, said collar having inwardly-directed wedge-shaped members intermediate said collar andthe ends of said jaws and adapted to forni the rear walls of said recesses and to complete the curvature of the collar between the extending sides and the split, substantiaiiy as described.

4. in a device of the class rihed the combination of a split collar i a brace connection, the sides of the eoliar at the split being extended forming jaws, jaws provided with recesses, said jaws r. ovided scribed, the

and a. brace with inwardly-directed lugs {ida} ted to,

form the bach walls ci re s, said.

Walls being convergent toward the split,l

combina-tion of a splitcollar member `andiabrace-conneeting member, 'said brace-connecting member provided with a head portion, a brace-engaging portion and a shoulf: der, said shoulder beingr between said'head' and. brace-engaging members and of greater transverse dimensions, said head portion being substantially barrel sha-pe rnd. said brace-engaging member being substantially irregular in cross section. said collar 'pro-V vided with laterally-extending jaws, said jaws provided with recesses having fop, side and buck walls lying en'ch side of the split, said sido walls provided with registering apertures, the back Walls lying in planes convo;` ont toward the spilt, the head por tion ol said br'aco-oonnooting mombor boing less in Width than the interior of said recess and provided with an' aperture there through Tonton in diameter than the opel tures m t e side walls of the recess, and a.

bolt adapted to extend through the aper- 10 turcs in the side Walls and the head, substantially as described.

CORA SPRAGUE, Ewm' of said Awh'wr W. Sprague, de

ceased. Witnesses:

Ams L. SPRAGUE, A. M` HALE. 

